Chapter Fifty: Entering the Inner Sect

A group of people carried Young Master Liu toward Elder Liu’s residence, running all the way. Outer sect disciples sighed in disbelief—who could have beaten Young Master Liu so badly? Surely, this would not end quietly.

They rushed in, pushing open the door. Elder Liu was still engrossed in a chess game, but upon seeing his son brought in on a stretcher, he hurried to assist. After examining his son's meridians and confirming he was unharmed, Elder Liu finally relaxed. Yet, after hearing the account from those present, he stripped his son's trousers to check, and when he saw the frozen, necrotic condition in the groin, fury rose within.

His family had only a single heir each generation; his son was just coming of age, ready to continue the lineage, and now, he’d been struck by such a cruel blow. What’s more, the perpetrator was not someone he could afford to offend. Seeing the traces of icy power and hearing the details, he immediately realized it was Tu Tianxiong. But since he couldn’t challenge Tu Tianxiong, he resolved that Dao Sansheng would never receive a single resource within the inner sect.

Elder Liu thought this, and Tu Tianxiong thought the same. The man before him was so adept at shifting blame; when he entered the inner sect, not a shred of cultivation resources would be granted to him—he would never breakthrough.

Dao Sansheng, meanwhile, paid no mind. Having finally avenged his friend, he was elated. He walked over to help up Chao Xiong, who was still collapsed on the ground, and settled him on the bed.

Remembering he still had a Foundation Establishment Pill, he took it out and gave it to Chao Xiong. Unaware of its significance, Chao Xiong swallowed it without hesitation; had he known, he would never have taken it.

“Someone will deliver things tomorrow. I’ll leave now; until next time.”

Tu Tianxiong, though unhappy, managed a polite response and turned to leave. Dao Sansheng remained beside Chao Xiong, guarding him, paying no attention to Tu Tianxiong—which only made Tu Tianxiong feel even more humiliated.

The next day, as expected, someone arrived to deliver items: an inner sect disciple’s token and ten thousand top-grade spirit stones. The man kept his word. Dao Sansheng, having received them, counted the spirit stones again and again, astounded to see so much wealth for the first time.

Meanwhile, Tu Tianxiong had entered seclusion. After consuming the ice pearl Dao Sansheng had given him, he initially felt its effects, but after half a day, he sensed nothing.

Impossible! This ice pearl was a rare treasure; it took ten thousand corpse refiners to produce a single ice corpse, which after natural cultivation could yield a pearl—only one in a thousand ice corpses would produce one. It required fortune, geography, and manpower. The book recorded its powerful effects.

Tu Tianxiong was still searching for the cause, never suspecting the pearl was fake. Unable to calm his mind, he sought out his master, but before he could find him, Senior Brother informed him the ice pearl might be counterfeit, possibly crafted by someone.

Tu Tianxiong recalled that day—the youth shifting blame so easily, acting as though nothing had happened. He realized he’d been played. Rage surged within him.

Tu Tianxiong then summoned all elite disciples he knew, instructing them: “Whatever factions you’ve established in the inner sect, make sure Dao Sansheng receives no cultivation resources.”

The same directive echoed in the Liu Clan. Elder Liu gathered all family members in Forge Heaven Valley, declaring that whoever cut off Dao Sansheng’s resources would be handsomely rewarded.

On the bed, Chao Xiong opened his eyes. Four days had passed, and his cultivation had advanced another step—he’d reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, just one step from Foundation Establishment.

“Congratulations, Brother Chao, you’ve reached the ninth level—soon you’ll establish your foundation!” Dao Sansheng congratulated him.

Chao Xiong was astonished; it must have been that pill Dao Sansheng fed him—the effects were overwhelming. He responded humbly, “Not at all. I don’t have a Foundation Establishment Pill. I heard you received one upon completing your task, and that’s the treasure needed for breakthrough. Without it, who knows how long it’d take to succeed.”

“The Foundation Establishment Pill—I’ve already given it to you. You took it while injured. Your Dao foundation was unstable, so I gave it to you,” Dao Sansheng explained.

Chao Xiong now wished he could cough up the pill he'd ingested, but it was already absorbed. Deeply moved, Chao Xiong rose from the bed and knelt on the floor.

“Brother Dao, you are truly noble. You have not failed me, and I will never fail your trust. If you ever need me, I will go through fire and water for you.”

Dao Sansheng chuckled, “No need for fire and water, Brother. It’s nothing. Here, take this—your inner sect disciple’s token.” Dao Sansheng handed over the token.

The silver token gleamed in Chao Xiong’s eyes, radiant as a beacon. This was the very thing he’d dreamed of when entering Forge Heaven Valley; now, at last, his wish was fulfilled.

Dao Sansheng saw Chao Xiong rendered speechless and turned to leave for his own room. “Let me pack my things. We’ll head to the inner sect together shortly.”

There wasn’t much to pack—just a few daily necessities. Most of his possessions were already stored in his hair band and storage pouch.

As soon as he stepped out, Chao Xiong was ready. The two left the house. Chao Xiong lingered by the door for a long while—he’d lived here five or six years, and now, in a blink, he was leaving, feeling a trace of reluctance.

The inner sect was spread across five mountain peaks. Aside from the central, tallest Broken Peak, there was the Ice-Fire Peak for refining and forging spiritual artifacts, plus three more: one for alchemy—where the sect distributed pills—another for inner sect disciples’ quarters, and the last for the sect’s core resources, its mineral assets.

The two were bound for the inner sect disciples’ mountain. After more than an hour’s journey, they were nearly there.

“This path is really long. Once we finish registration and learn the Floating Technique, we’ll be able to fly—no more exhausting walks,” Chao Xiong remarked.

Dao Sansheng nodded, though he seemed to lack anticipation. At the inner sect mountain gate, no one stood guard; the two walked straight in. At the end of the road was a grand hall; they entered.

Outside, the palace seemed modest, but inside it was spacious, divided into departments. Just then, a senior brother approached, seeing them engrossed in the sect rules and recognizing them as newcomers.

“Junior brothers, is there anything I can help you with? Consultation costs one hundred middle-grade spirit stones,” he said, smiling broadly and holding out both hands.

“You charge for advice? We don’t need you. Brother Dao, let’s find our way ourselves,” Chao Xiong said, pulling Dao Sansheng to leave. The senior brother, however, persisted, grabbing Dao Sansheng’s arm to block their path.

Just as Chao Xiong was about to speak, the senior brother interrupted.

“Are you Dao Sansheng, junior brother?” The man stared at Dao Sansheng, scrutinizing him from every angle as if seeking hidden patterns.

“How do you know me?” Dao Sansheng asked, surprised at the recognition. He had no idea that throughout the inner sect, everyone had been warned: when encountering Dao Sansheng, steer clear—this was the edict from all major factions.

Upon hearing Dao Sansheng confirm his identity, the senior brother quickly retreated, vanishing in a flash without a trace.